INC-4 Privileges and Immunities Order

Summary#

The Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (Ottawa 2024 – INC-4) Privileges and Immunities Order lists the legal privileges and immunities that apply to the United Nations meeting on plastic pollution held in Ottawa. It covers the meeting period and related preparatory events and came into force on March 25, 2024.

What it does#

• Declares that the meeting premises and the archives and documents of the United Nations Environment Programme are inviolable during the relevant period.
• Gives certain protections (privileges and immunities) to people taking part in the meetings, including:
  • representatives of foreign states and of United Nations members and agencies;
  • officials of the United Nations and of its specialized agencies;
  • experts on mission for the UN or its agencies.
• Sets the “relevant period” for those protections as April 19 to May 3, 2024, covering the preparatory consultations on April 21, 2024 and the INC-4 meeting from April 23 to 30, 2024.
• Confirms the Order is made under the Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act and that it took effect on registration (March 25, 2024).

Who's affected#

• Delegates and staff attending INC-4, including representatives of foreign governments, UN members, and UN specialized agencies.
• Officials and experts working for the United Nations Environment Programme and related UN bodies while on mission for the meeting.
• The Government of Canada and the federal departments involved in hosting; the Order itself is not expected to affect Canadian small businesses or the general public.

Why it matters#

• It lets Canada host INC-4 with clear legal protections for the UN, its premises and its participants. That helps the meeting run smoothly and securely.
• These protections include things like immunity for official acts, and exemptions from some immigration requirements for participants — practical steps that make international meetings easier to attend.
• Canada has already provided funds to help host the meeting (reported as Can$4 million, provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada to the United Nations Environment Programme), so this Order removes a legal hurdle to holding the event in Ottawa.
• The Order is mainly an administrative measure with limited direct impact on the public.